Beer Hops Seeds
Humulus lupulus (common hop or hop) is a species of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family, native to Europe, western Asia and North America.
It is a dioecious, perennial, herbaceous climbing plant which sends up new shoots in early spring and dies back to a cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. Strictly speaking it is a bine rather than a vine, using its own shoots to act as supports for new growth.
Hops is an ingredient in most beers, and as such is widely cultivated for use by the brewing industry. The fragrant flower cones, known as hops, impart bitterness and flavor, and also have preservative qualities.
Hops seeds can be slow to germinate. Use a process called moist cold stratification to encourage hop seed germination. A good method is to put seeds in an equal amount of moist sand and refrigerate from one to three months at about 41 degrees F. After that, plant the seeds at 68 degrees, just below soil surface. Seeds germinate in one to two months.
Image Credit Flickr Creative Commons - Stevesworldofphotos - https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevesworldofphotos/
